If You're Not the One
by AstringentSaccharine
Summary: "No Embry, I can't be the one." Ester shook her head frantically stepping away from me. "I can't be your soul mate. This imprint…or whatever the hell you call it is a mistake." Her lips said one thing, but I could see love in her eyes. "Why? Why can't you be the one?" Pause. "Because, I don't want to be my father, I don't want to die of a broken heart."
1. Chapter 1

******Beta'd by the awesome, talented, oh-so-very amazing Sparkling-Iris. **

**Hello again! This an Embry OC Story. **

**What happens when Embry imprints on a girl who believes romance can only lead to heartache and pain? Sometimes even death.**

**AU: This current story is written in the pretense had Edward never returned. Victoria was defeated without creating a newborn army, because in all honesty sometimes, I think it's difficult to believe a bunch of wolves couldn't take down one lone vamp, no matter how damn fast she is…just saying. Thus meaning Jacob and Bella are together. **

**AU: Embry and Sam's father Joshua Uley returned to La Push an extremely wealthy man when Embry was 11 and Sam was 15, however the two grew up always knowing they were brothers and seemingly got along, so when Embry phased, it didn't shock the Elders or the other pack members. We'll dive more into that subject as the story progresses. **

**Warning: This story is rated M for a reason. There's discussions of drug abuse and other mature matters.**

**Pics of characters and places are up on my profile. **

**Current Ages: **

**Sam, Leah, Emily and Rachel are 23. **

**Bella is 21. **

**Embry, Jacob, Quil, Jared, Kim and Paul are 19. **

**Seth and Claire are 17.**

**Brady and Collin are 15.**

**All Twilight characters belong to SM. **

**Chapter One: A New Beginning**

**Ester POV**

Corey Wells once wrote; _"Believe it or not…life is not fair. Occasionally the bad guy wins, people do play favorites, some good people die young, some people will let you down, and not everyone is honest._" Damn. Corey must have lived a life similar to mine. At the age of seventeen, I have seen and experienced more hardships and unfairness than most folks will in a thousand lifetimes. I truly am a survivor, still trying to survive.

It was a little after six o'clock when I arrived at the small shoebox apartment I shared with my mom Diane and younger sister Abigail, who I affectionately called Abby.

Most girls my age would probably be at the mall right now, maybe talking on the phone to their boyfriend, or cramming for some major exam the next day for school.

But I'm not most girls. I got my GED when I was sixteen after my mother relapsed again. Someone had to work full time in order to ensure the bills got paid, and although I had been working part-time since I was fourteen, twenty hours a week just wouldn't cut it anymore-not to mention my grades were really starting to take a major nose dive. Getting my GED was for the best.

My mother had struggled with all sorts of addictions for pretty much her entire life and I had personally seen her high on something more often than I'd seen her sober.

As I got out of my car, a small smile crept across my face when taking one more look at my purchase. A 1999 Toyota Corolla. I recently bought it from one of my co-workers at the distribution center. He sold it to me cheap, since he recently discovered he was going to be a dad and needed something bigger to accommodate his growing family. Dads. My smile slowly faded as I allowed myself to think about the one I'd lost. I missed him terribly.

My father was a former addict, and he'd met my mother during one of her many stints in rehab. He never turned back to street drugs because my mother became his new addiction. They say love is blind, but did it have to turn people into stupid spineless, weaklings as well? It did for my dad. I never understood how he could be so forgiving and understanding of her bullshit and the constant pain she put us through with her many relapses. Even when she cheated on him and got pregnant with Abigail, he didn't leave her! Instead, he took on the responsibility of being a father to Abby as well. He signed his name on her birth certificate and gave Abby his last name. He never made Abby feel like she wasn't his. Don't get me wrong, I love my little sister immensely. I just couldn't understand how my dad was able to as well. But he did.

It had been seven years since my father passed away from colon cancer, at least that's what the doctors wanted me to believe he died from; but I knew better. He may have been diagnosed with cancer, but loving Diane too much is what really killed him. From that day forward walking away from my father's burial site I made a vow to myself. Never fall in love. I have my sister. Abigail's love for me is unselfish and unconditional, just as mine is to her. To hell with romance.

I took a deep breath before walking inside, only to see mom passed out on the sofa with a dirty syringe left out on the table. Her drug of choice tonight was heroin. I was furious as I stared down at her. "Diane!" I yelled her name. She didn't budge. "Diane, wake up!" I kicked the sofa this time.

"What?" She groaned, turning away from me.

"Where the hell did you get the money to buy this poison?!" I demanded. She started laughing quietly. "What's so damn funny?"

"You are." She sniggered, finally turning over to look at me with glazed-over eyes. Diane used to be beautiful, but years of drug abuse had taken her looks away. Her once light auburn flowing hair had lost its luster, and her dark brandy eyes had no life left in them. Her once flawless snowy skin was riddled with lesions from methamphetamine abuse. Abigail was stunning uncontaminated carbon copy of my mother. I on the other hand, favored my father. My skin was slightly darker, giving off the appearance of a natural year round tan, courtesy of my father's rich Native American roots. My hair was naturally jet black, but I lightened it with highlights. "Ya know Ester, if you want to hide money, you should do a better a job." She nodded her chin towards the kitchen. Shit! I hid $300 in an old cookie jar.

"How much did you spend?" I was livid.

"All of it." She murmured nonchalantly.

"Damn it, Diane! That was half of the rent money!" I screeched.

"Rent's not due until next week." She shrugged turning back over. "Besides, don't you get paid tomorrow?" She added before passing out again.

"You're fucking unbelievable." I mumbled as I stormed down our short narrow hallway to the bedroom I shared with Abigail. I proceeded to bang on the door; our radio was way too damn loud there was no way she could possibly hear me. Abby always locked the door whenever Diane got high, since she had a tendency to invite her druggy friends over. They were pretty unsavory characters; my little sis didn't trust them and neither did I.

"Go away you crazy bitch! I'm not letting you in!" My sister screamed over the music through the door.

"Abby, it's me!" I yelled.

"Thank god!" She exclaimed. It took her a while to unlock the door; I could hear furniture sliding from the other side before she was able to remove the chain and two extra locks I had installed for our safety. As the door flew open and I saw her face, my anger returned. Abby had a fresh bruise across her cheek.

"That bitch!" I snarled, examining my little sister's face. I then began to look over the rest of her body for any more battle wounds she may have received tonight for going at war with Diane, but she quickly jerked away.

"Please don't start anything with her tonight!" She begged me. "I'm fine." She assured, pulling me inside and relocking the door. "She was trying to come inside our room and I wouldn't let her. I was afraid she would find your money stash and see our packed bags." She whispered.

What Diane didn't know was that tonight would be the last time she'd ever see either of us again. Since the day I started working when I was just fourteen, I had a plan; save up as much money as possible, buy a car, take Abby, and run away from this hell we called life. "I even found my birth certificate and social security card." I already had mine.

"Were you able to get your high school transcripts?" I asked her.

"Sure did." She laughed, waving a large envelope in front of me. "I didn't even have to sneak into the principal's office. His student aid has a major crush on me. Did you get the fake ID?"

"Yup." I smirked. Although I already had a license, it showed my real age. Seventeen. I needed one that showed I was twenty-one. I pulled the fake license out of wallet and showed it to Abby.

"Wow! This thing looks real."

"It should, for what I paid for it."

Sneaking out with our bags was pretty easy, since Diane was still passed out. I pulled away from our apartment complex for the final time. I reached into my glove compartment and found the one sheet of paper that I held near and dear to my heart. The deed to my grandmother Ester's house given to me upon my father's deathbed; the childhood home my father grew up in, given to him after his mother died. It was ours now. Abigail and I were finally moving to La Push. Although we had never been there before any place is better than our current living situation.

**Several Hours Later**

A few hours on the road and Abby was in bad shape. It appeared she may have gotten some sort of stomach bug. I had already made several stops so she could use the restroom. We were starting to run out of daylight and I was in desperate need of sleep. Based upon the MapQuest directions, La Push was less than ten minutes from where we were.

"Pull over Essie, I think I'm going to hurl!" My sister groaned. I quickly pulled over and helped her out of the car. Just as she pulled hair back, she was dry heaving. I felt my little sister's forehead. She was burning up.

"This isn't good Abby, I think I need to take you to the emergency room." I sighed heavily.

"No!" My sister began shaking her head frantically. "Doctors ask too many questions, you know that!" Abigail and I had, had a few trips to the ER in dealing with Hurricane Diane. We pretty much became experts at lying. We knew that if we ever told the doctors the truth about our home life, we'd be taken away, thrown into the system, and most likely separated forever.

"I have to do something. You're in bad shape." I argued, helping her back into the car. Once I got back in and tried to start the engine, it stalled. "Damn it!" I slammed my hands on the steering wheel, causing Abby to jump. "Sorry." I apologized to my sister for startling her, as I made another attempt to start my car again, but this time it wouldn't even make a sound. "Shit. This cannot be happening right now." We were in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by a bunch of woods, in the middle of the night. Could life get any worse?

I rested my head against the steering wheel. Even though I had my cell phone, who could I call? Definitely not Diane. Just as I thought hope was lost, a set of headlights pulled up behind us. "Stay in the car." I told Abby as I got out.

I was relieved to find two middle aged women get out. "Are you having car trouble?" One of them asked, holding a flashlight in her hand. I simply nodded. The woman holding the flashlight had black hair and eyes with a thin face.

"I'll call Embry and see if he or one of the guys can tow it to their garage." The other woman smiled. "I'm Tiffany by the way, and this is Sue." Tiffany looked a little younger than Sue. She was quite attractive for someone her age.

"Is there anyone we can call that can come pick you up?" Sue asked as Tiffany walked back towards their car.

"No, I have no one." I answered honestly. "My sister and I were actually driving to La Push."

"La Push?" The two ladies replied, staring at me.

"I've lived in the reservation my whole entire life, and I've never seen you before." Sue gazed upon me suspiciously. "What is your name?"

"Ester…Ester Moonflower." Sue's eyes widened slightly as did Tiffany's. "I was named after my grandmother, my father was…"

"Timothy." Sue whispered. She knew my dad!

"That's right." I responded with relief. "How did you know them?"

"Ester Moonflower is a distant relative to Billy Black. He is the current chief of our tribe." Just as I was about to open my mouth, my passenger door flung open and Abigail nearly collapsed, I rushed to her side, followed by Sue.

"It hurts so badly." Abby sobbed, gripping her stomach.

"Let me take a look at her." Sue asked me, I immediately felt apprehensive, I didn't know who Sue really was, although she knew my father I didn't know her. I wasn't sure if I should trust her just yet. "I'm the tribal doctor." She revealed. "Ms. Call is my nursing assistant." She motioned for Tiffany to join her.

"I thought tribes had shamans, or medicine men," I grumbled.

"We have one of those too. But knowledge of modern medicine helps too." Tiffany smirked. "Embry and Jacob will come pick up your car."

"Who are they?" I wasn't sure if I was alright with a bunch of random strangers driving my car.

"Embry is Tiffany's son, Jacob is Billy's." Sue answered. "The sooner I can take a look at your sister, the sooner we can figure out what's ailing her." I took a deep breath and reluctantly handed Abby over to Sue. After examining her, she figured out what wrong was. "It appears your sister has food poisoning."

"Food poisoning?!" I exclaimed.

"The Sloppy Joes at school did taste a little off today." Abby grated.

"What happened to your face?" Tiffany asked noticing Diane's handiwork. Shit!

"School fight." Abby lied effortlessly. "You should see the other guy."

"We'll drive you two back to Tiffany's. It's closest." She helped my sister up. "Come on, we're going to get you something for the pain and get you some liquids, you're severely dehydrated." Abby nodded weakly.

"Thank you Sue." She needed to know I was grateful for her assistance, and I felt a little guilty for not trusting her initially. "I don't know how I can possibly repay you." I told her.

"You're with family now Ester, family helps one another." Evidently, Sue never met Diane.

**A/N: So what do you guys think? Next chapter will be Embry's POV. Review, add to your favorites, and alerts. Thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello everyone, long time no see. I know it's been a while since I updated this story, but I wanted to get several chapters completed before posting more, so without further delay, here is the next chapter. The updates will be coming in weekly once again. Please check out my links on my profile. A heartfelt thanks to everyone who reviewed this story and added this story to their favorites and alerts. **

**Beta'd by the awesome and talented Sparkling-Iris and oh-so-very amazing Aretee!**

**Chapter Two: The One**

**Embry's POV**

It's funny how things turn out in life. One day I was nobody; the poor little bastard boy whose daddy walked out on him, constantly living in the shadow of his best friend, Jacob Black, who also happened to be the next chief-in-line for our tribe. But when Joshua Uley returned, formerly known as a deadbeat, now a multimillionaire, every single girl from La Push to Port Angeles wanted to sink their claws into me and my brother, Sam.

My sire launched dozens of websites and finally struck gold…platinum, one would say. His golden goose? An American multinational corporation specializing in Internet-related services and products, included search engines, cloud computing, software, and online advertising technologies. Most of its profits were derived from AdWords.

He made millions. Joshua set out on a path of redemption among our tribe. It started with him renovating La Push and creating college funds, to forming a construction company which employed several people from our rez and Forks. He placed Sam in charge.

Construction wasn't really my thing, so _daddy dearest_ gave Jake and me the money to start our own auto mechanic shop. I guess you can I say I had mixed emotions about accepting cash from Josh, so I paid him back within a year of opening the shop. Quil and Paul worked with us as well, while Brady and Collin worked for us part time. Leah handled the books.

Josh earned his place back on the council two years ago; that same evening my mother found out as well. I got so angry that night that I phased in front of her—but that story is for another time.

Although Josh and I made our peace with one another years ago, I still couldn't address him directly as _dad. _My older brother Sam couldn't either. There was still a lot of pain there. You see, when he left his wife and had an affair with my mom—only to take off on her as well—it left a guy like myself a little bitter.

I had a place of my own, but whenever Josh went out of town on business, I'd stay at his mega sized cottage. His house consisted of ten identical bedrooms that came equipped with bathrooms in each one, an entertainment room, a home theatre, and a fully stocked fridge; One hell of a place to throw a party. Let's just say this was the place to be on Saturday nights when the B-Spot was closed and Josh was out of town. Our parties were legendary.

"I'm serious, man!" Seth laughed, leaning against his pool stick as I took my turn.

"No way. No female can be that desperate," I disagreed. "Not even Lauren Mallory."

"Well, then, you explain to us how her car tends to break down every other week," Paul sniggered while he took a swig of his beer.

"And, if that's not the case, then why does she only want you to work on her car?" Jake added.

"The only reason she hits on me, along with every single girl around these parts, is because Joshua Uley and I share the same DNA." I wasn't an idiot. I knew that when women saw me, they thought of dollar signs, and since I hadn't imprinted on any of them, it only cemented my suspicions. "Besides, out of all of us, I'm the only guy who's still single."

"What?!" Brady exclaimed. "I'm still single, and so is Seth," Brady added, nodding towards Seth, who only smirked.

"Yeah, but you aren't legal," Leah noted. "Lauren may be a slut, but she's no pedophile. Not to mention, Collin should consider himself single as well, given the fact that his imprint considers him as jailbait."

Collin imprinted on nineteen year old Bree Biers, formerly known as Bree Tanner. She had lived in Idaho for most of her life. Bree believed that her mother had left her abusive father when she was four. He then packed up and moved to Idaho with her. Because of the abuse, Bree felt isolated from her peers. She was a quiet, withdrawn girl. No one ever noticed the signs of her abusive home life, despite some physical evidence. Finally, Bree could no longer stand his abuse and ran away from home a few weeks before her sixteenth birthday. She had enough money for a bus ride to Seattle, but nothing more than that. She tried unsuccessfully to get a job, and began stealing in order to eat. She slept in parks and alleys - any place where she felt a little bit safe. Her biggest fear was that the police would catch her and send her home to her father.

She'd been on the run for less than three weeks when Riley Biers, a Forks local, found her behind a restaurant. His heart instantly broke for her. He offered her some food and then drove her back to Forks to his parent's house. It was then discovered by Chief Swan, through some investigative work, that Bree's mother had been murdered and buried in their backyard by her own dad before she and him moved to Idaho. After the cops found Bree's mother's bones, they assumed Bree's dad killed her, as well. He was currently serving time for both their murders. Once Bree had been reinstated as alive, Riley's parents legally adopted her. Collin imprinted on Bree about a year ago when she started working for Rachel on the rez. Unfortunately, at the time Collin was only fourteen and Bree was eighteen. Poor kid, couldn't even get busy with his imprint.

Now he would be turning sixteen in six months, and luckily that was the age of consent here in Washington. The kid was literally counting down the days.

"Fuck you, Leah!" Collin snarled.

"No thanks, sweetie. I'm no pedophile, either, not to mention I've seen you naked. And unfortunately, Collin, I gotta tell ya, man. I'm not impressed."

"Gross, Leah," Seth groaned. "You just had to go there." Leah shrugged indifferently, finished her beer, and then stood up.

"I'm heading home," she announced, grabbing her keys. "Hey, Call? Tell _'Daddy Rich Bucks_' I said thanks for the free beer. Later."

"Wait, Lee, we still have pack business to attend to," Jake spoke up.

"Is that an order, oh almighty alpha?" she sneered angrily.

After Jake graduated, Sam rightfully gave up Alpha. For a while, he had taken on the role as beta, but once the construction business began to grow, he passed it on to me. Luckily, no one really complained. Paul, Jared, and Quil knew that being beta required a lot of time, and given the fact that they had their imprints and wanted to be with them, there wasn't much room for argument.

"Leah-" Jake began.

"I can't, Jake." Leah snapped her eyes shut for a moment. "I've been better these past few years; I've done what you guys have asked me. I've been less hostile towards them, shit, I even went to their fucking wedding. But I can't stay, not for this."

"Give her a break, Jake." I always tended to be protective of Leah because she and I were once close friends before all of this bullshit of phasing, protecting our tribe, and imprinting happened. To others, it may have been strange that our mothers allowed Sam and I to spend time with one another, but the two of them bonded over their pain of Joshua's betrayal, since neither one of them knew about each other until after Joshua took off.

Since Sam and I were just as close as any other siblings, I got to know Leah, as well. To me, she was the coolest. I liked the fact that she was tough and funny, but still beautiful. When Sam left Leah for Emily, I was livid, I didn't understand his actions, since Sam was all about her for years. Then one day, he disappeared for two weeks and reappeared as a totally different man, one in love with Leah's cousin. Shit just didn't add up, but after I phased for the first time, I understood.

"Go ahead, Leah," Jake sighed. In less than three seconds, Leah was gone. "I know a few of you have been wondering why Sam has decided to leave the pack." He was doing his very last patrol at the moment. "We've been really quiet about everything, with the exception of me, Embry and Leah…"

"Wait a minute," Collin cut in, "why does Leah get to know what's going on with Sam before the rest of us?"

"We felt that telling Leah first was best. She needed more time to come to terms with the news." Jake always tried to be tactful about things.

"News?" Quil raised one brow.

"Yes. Emily is pregnant, and since we haven't had that much leech activity in the past few months, Embry and I didn't see any reason why Sam should have to continue phasing. How do you guys feel about that?"

"I'm really happy for Sam and Emily, but I feel bad for Leah," Jared huffed.

"Yeah, she's been less of a bitch lately. I just don't want this news to set her back," Paul added. "I know she's not in love with Sam anymore, but this whole _'Emily having a baby'_ thing has got to be tough,"

Brady shook his head.

"Leah's a strong person, but she still has her fragile moments. I know she'll get through this. We just have to give her time and a little space," Seth recommended. "When she's ready to talk about this, we just have to be there for her." We all murmured in agreement.

Afterwards, Jake went over our new patrol schedules. They were pretty much the same. We all just ended up with an extra hour, so it wasn't that big a deal.

Paul, Brady and Collin were the first to leave. Brady and Collin had been living with Rachel and Paul for about a year now. Both of their parents were fed up with their constant sneaking out. I felt bad for them. Collin and his dad used to be pretty close and Brady was one of the biggest momma's boys I'd ever met. Sometimes, I wished our rules were different. If Brady and Collin's parents knew the real reason why the two of them were always gone, they'd be proud of them, not disappointed.

Quil headed out next. He lived on his own. I was pretty sure Emily and Sam wouldn't be putting up much of a fuss if Claire spent her whole entire summer with him, since she was seventeen now. Jared left an hour later to take over Sam's patrol.

Just as we were about to set up for another game of pool, my cell went off, and my mom's ringtone blared through my pocket,

_Mama, Mama you know I love you  
Mama, Mama you're the queen of my heart  
Your love is like tears from the stars  
Mama I just want you to know lovin' you is like food to my soul  
_

"Hey, mom. What's up?" I answered.

_"__Hey, Em. I tried calling Jake a few minutes ago, and Bella answered instead."_

"Yeah, Jake tends to leave it with Bells when we have pack meetings…no disturbances," I explained. "We wrapped things up about an hour ago, though. Is everything alright?"

_"__Yes…no, actually. Mother Moonflower's granddaughters are having car trouble…"_

"Granddaughters?!" I heard Jake exclaim, damn wolf hearing meant phone calls weren't even private.

"Mother Moonflower doesn't have any grandkids." I argued back.

Ester Moonflower was a much honored member among her tribe, a spiritual counselor and a caretaker to all of the grade school children of the tribe. Even Jake, myself, and the rest of our pack had spent many evenings with Mother Moonflower when we were young. She was a kind, but firm woman who was loved by all. She never met a person who disliked her. She had an aura about her. I saw that even as a kid. Mother Moonflower was like a grandmother to me. It was a great sadness to us all when we lost her ten years ago.

_"__She does. Two, actually; they're Tim's daughters."_ Mother Moonflower's estranged son…He took off long ago when his twin sister Florence committed suicide. No one knew why she did it. She never even left a note explaining her actions. _"They just moved here. Something tells me they're in trouble."_

"Em, put your phone on speaker," Jake requested, moving closer. "Just because someone has Ester's name doesn't mean anything…"

"_She looks so much like Florence. Just a few shades lighter_," my mom cut in.

"What about the other one? You said granddaughters, in plural," I had almost forgotten that Seth was here until I heard his voice. Seconds later, we heard my mother's pace quicken.

"_Damn it_," Mother cursed, "_The younger one is pretty sick. Can you come tow the car back to your garage? It's just fifteen minutes out from the reservation. I'll place the keys under the floor mat."_

"Mom…" I objected.

"_Sue and I are taking them to my place. Bye_."

**~XoXoXoXoXoXoX~**

Seth asked if he could tag along with us. He didn't want to sit idly by, and wanted to be useful. Once we got Ester's car to our garage, Jake noticed Ester and her sister still had their luggage inside, and suggested we drop their things off at my mom's place.

Sue called in a prescription for antibiotics, and asked for us to stop by the pharmacy and pick them up before heading over to my mom's. It turned out Ester's little sister, Abigail, had food poisoning. Seth also grabbed a few sports drinks and popsicles as well.

"I'm going to take these meds to mom, and we can take off," Seth hurried into my old room, which had been recently converted into a guest room. I found my mom in the kitchen.

"Hey, sweetie," she kissed my cheek, "I thought I heard you guys come in."

"Hey, Ms. Call," Jake hugged my mom. "I set Ester and Abigail's bags down in the living room. Is that alright?"

"That's just fine. It took a while to convince Ester and her sister to stay here with me for a while. Mother Moonflower's place is a little ways out and it needs some work done to become habitable again." Mom was right; it had been a decade since anyone had lived there. The grass needed cutting, and all of the furniture had either been placed in storage, handed down to those less fortunate, or thrown away.

"Are you sure about this, Ms. Call?" Jake asked. "The Moonflowers are my kin. I have no problem having them stay with me or dad."

"Florence and Tim were the first people I met when I came looking for Embry's dad all those years ago. Their mother took me in when my parents disowned me for being seventeen and pregnant." I stood there, shocked by my mother's confession. "Florence introduced me to Sue since I needed a midwife, and because of them, I found my passion for healing and helping others. If it wasn't for the initial kindness of the Moonflowers, I wouldn't be where I am today. The least I can do is take care of her grandchildren—the way she took care of me."

I thought I knew everything about my mom, but I guess I was wrong. I wasn't mad, just curious as to why she never told me this before. Just as I was about to ask my mom that same question, Sue emerged with a slightly stunned expression on her face. She said nothing as she took a seat at my mom's table next to Jake.

"Is Abigail okay?" Jake wanted to know. Sue nodded yes, but still didn't speak. "Well, I'm going to go introduce myself; see if they need anything." As Jake stood up, Sue grabbed him by the wrist.

"You can't go in there," she finally spoke, "Seth is…feeling territorial of Abigail right now. You can meet Ester when she comes out, but you'll have to wait until Abigail is feeling a little better before you meet her."

"What?" Jake laughed. "Why?" He slowly sat down. "Seth doesn't even know her. She's more my family than anyone else's."

"Jake, do you remember when Bella caught pneumonia last winter?"

"Of course, how could I forget? I stopped patrolling for a whole week. I wasn't really thinking straight, and I wouldn't let the pack go near her. She was mine to care for. She's my soul-mate…" As the last words flew from Jake's mouth, realization hit him, and me as well.

Seth Clearwater imprinted on Abigail Moonflower. "How long does it take to recover from food poisoning?"

"A day or two with antibiotics and rest. Maybe sooner," my mom replied. "I'll go get Ester."

"I did not see this coming," Jake smirked, shaking his head. We then heard the door open and shut.

"She was just about to fall asleep until he showed up," a sultry feminine voice complained. "Maybe I should stay to make sure he doesn't try anything stupid."  
"You have nothing to worry about; Seth is harmless. Trust me, Abby is in good hands," my mother assured her.

"He'd better keep his hands to his damn self," she grunted. I couldn't help but admire her protectiveness. My mom entered first.

"Everyone, this is Ester Florence Moonflower."

Slowly, the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my whole entire life appeared in the doorway. We locked eyes and gravity shifted. I was frozen, lost in those beautiful smoky dark orbs that pierced through my soul and rendered me speechless. I had imprinted.

"Ester, this is Jacob Black, a distant relative of yours." She finally broke eye contact and I was able to breathe again.

"Hey there, Ester, nice to meet you. Our grandfathers were second cousins." He stood up and shook her hand.

"And this fine young man is my son, Embry." Ester's eyes were back at me. I opened my mouth and no words came out. This imprint shit was crazy! I'd never been tongue tied. "Honey, are you alright?" Jake turned around, his eyes widening.

"Seriously?!" Jake whispered, only loud enough for me to hear. Two imprints in a matter of seconds. Yeah, this shit just got real.

**AU Note: Riley and Bree are human in this story, since a newborn army was never created. My heart always had a little soft spot for Bree and Riley. I always believed they would have been good people had it not been for Victoria sinking her teeth into them. I went ahead added pics of them in their 'human form'...**

**Embry mom's ringtone: A Song for Mama by Boyz II Men**

**For those of you who would like to know how Josh became successful, here's a brief outtake (it was totally inspired by the creators of Google):**

_When Josh took off, he fled to college where he met a fellow grad student by the name of David Featherwood who was majoring in computer science. The two computer geeks began collaborating on writing a program for a search engine dubbed SleekTouch._

_After receiving rave reviews on SleekTouch, Josh and David began working on another search engine called __**chase dot com**__. Operating out of their dorm rooms, the pair built a server network using cheap, used, and borrowed PCs. They maxed their credit cards buying terabytes of disks at discount prices. They tried to license their search engine technology, however, after failing to find anyone that wanted their product at an early stage of development, Josh and Dave decided to keep Chase, seek more financing, improve the product, and take it to the public themselves._

_The strategy worked and after more development Chase finally became a hot commodity. Co-founder of Solar Ray Microsystems, Drew Berman said after a quick demo of Chase,"Instead of us discussing all the details, why don't I just write you a check?"_

**Thanks for reading. Please review, add to your alerts, and favorite.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Beta'd by the awesome and talented Sparkling-Iris and oh-so-very amazing Aretee!**

**To my lovely reviewers of Chapter & Two:** KendieV; tiffanythibedeau; MarinaNamaste; Aretee; OPOSOJOJ; brankel1; .1996; IAmPhoenix; Guest; honey cocaine follower; and sugarishfreak **Thank you so very much. My bad for not showing you guys any love last chapter.**

**A special thanks for the following readers who added me to their favorites and alerts: **Artee**, **KendieV; MarinaNamaste; MidnightWolf191; Yuuki-Hime 2097; fari30, loved by all21; mortega22; otvet1269; sugarishfreak; tiffanythibedeau; **and** IAmPhoenix.

**Chapter Three: Unexpected**

**Ester POV**

I couldn't help but feel a little confused by my surroundings as Sue drove us to Tiffany's house. My father told me La Push wasn't the most impoverished reservation, but it wasn't the wealthiest either. I begged to differ. We passed a diner, a bowling alley, a large grocery store, and what appeared to be a bar and grill called _The B-Spot_. Going further in, there were several newly remodeled homes and others that were in the midst of renovations. This was not the La Push my father described.

"Not what you imagined?" Tiffany murmured beside me. I shook my head. "Joshua Uley has a lot to do with La Push looking this way."

"Who's he?" I asked.

"My son's father," She replied softly.

"I thought you said your last name was Call." I could've sworn.

"It is. Embry's father and I were never married." She shrugged indifferently.

"I'm sorry." That must have been difficult being a single parent. I know it had been for Diane, however, something told me already that Tiffany was nothing like my mother though. The dead giveaway? She was way too nurturing when it came to Abby and I. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy towards Embry Call. He had something I never had with Diane. A reliable mother, who loved her child more than herself.

"Don't be." Ms. Call smiled. "I'm not. It took me a while to come to terms with things, but I made my peace with Embry's father a long time ago. This," she pointed out the window to the newly remodeled homes, "is a part of Joshua Uley's path to redemption among his people."

"You know, they say you can never go home again." Sue mused from the front seat as she continued driving. "Do you know what I say to those people?" She adjusted her rear view mirror to see my face. I shook my head and shrugged. "I would simply ask them, have they ever tried?"

I leaned back in my seat and soaked in Sue's words. Suddenly, I started thinking of my father. I once asked him why he and his mom fought and never made up. He sadly responded, "I never tried."

_My father never tried. _

What terrible fight did the two of them have that night, that would force my father to walk away from his home never to return again? I had to know-I _needed_ to know. The rest of the drive to Ms. Call's house was done in an awkward silence.

From the moment I stepped onto the hardwood floors of her home, I felt an instant sense of wholeness and security. As much as I liked the feeling, it also scared the shit out of me. I'd never felt this way wherever I lived, so why here? And why now?

"Come on, honey, let's get you situated into the guest room." Tiffany murmured in my sister's ear as she guided her down the hallway. "It's a good thing I had my son's old room converted into a guest room," she added, flicking on the light.

Ms. Call's slightly small, but very tidy guest room was furnished with twin beds, a small round table with two chairs, and a 32-inch flat screen television. For Abby and I, it was by far the nicest room we had slept in, in a long time.

"I'm not sure how much sleep you'll be getting tonight in here with your sister, Ester. She most likely will be getting up all hours of the night. My office has a futon in it. You're more than welcome to sleep in there tonight," she explained, helping my sister into bed. "The both of you can stay here as long as you like. Mother Moonflower's house has been vacant for so long, and is in the process of being renovated."

"We couldn't impose…"

"I insist," Ms. Call interrupted.

"I don't know." I hated owing people. It always made me feel like I was obligated to do stuff for them. I only wanted to be obligated to. my sister. She only expected for me to love, care, and protect her. The last time someone_ 'helped'_ me, I paid a heavy price, and I couldn't bear being placed in a situation like that again. Although I felt Ms. Call may have been different, it still didn't sit well with me owing anyone.

"Listen, Ester," Ms. Call took a long deep breath, "your grandmother took me in when my unborn child and I had no place to go." My eyes grew wide with shock. My grandmother helped Ms. Call? "And when I decided to go to nursing school, she looked after my son. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I'd ever get the opportunity to repay Ester for her many acts of kindness. This is my way of doing so." I felt a slight surge of sadness for the grandmother I would never get a chance to know. She sounded like a remarkable woman. I felt a little angry with my father, who had never given Abby or me a chance to know our grandmother.

"Will you tell us about her? Our grandmother, Ms. Call?"

"I'll tell you and Abby everything, Ester." She smiled at me. "And please, call me Tiffany, or Tiff."

"Okay-Tiff." I stammered awkwardly.

"Great!" Tiffany clapped her hands together. "Are you hungry?" I nodded. "I'll make you something. Embry and Jake should be here soon; they're always hungry." After Tiffany and Sue exited the room, I grabbed one of the chairs from the table and sat beside the bed Abby was lying on.

"Essie," she whimpered, reaching for me.

"I'm right here, Abby." I gripped her hand.

"Are we going to be okay?"

"I hope so, but we gotta keep our guard up. No matter how kind people might be, they tend to have ulterior motives." I spoke softly so others couldn't hear us, using my free hand to stroke her hair, as Abby nodded knowingly to my last remark.

"I just called my son, Seth. He's going to pick up your prescriptions; some antibiotics and something for your nausea and vomiting. It may make you a little drowsy," Sue explained to Abby, walking back in. "Apparently in our rush to get here, we forgot to grab your bags. The guys will be dropping that off as well. How are you feeling, Abigail?"

"Like shit," my little sister grumbled.

"Abby! Language!" I chastised. My sister and I both had mouths like sailors, but I tried not to curse in front of adults out of respect.

"Its fine," Sue smirked, "with a daughter like mine, anyone else's profane mouths are tame, and besides, feeling _'like shit'_ suffices when it comes to food poisoning."

"How old are your kids, Mrs. Clearwater?" Abby managed to ask. There was no doubt in my mind that she was trying to distract herself from the pain by asking questions.

"My son, Seth, is seventeen and my daughter, Leah, is twenty-three," she answered as I heard the front door to Tiffany's house open. "And it looks like you'll get a chance to meet one of them tonight."

"Hey, mom," the bedroom door slowly swung open, "I got Abigail's prescriptions, including some Gatorade." In walked a good looking russet guy whose tall muscular build probably had all the rez girls fawning over him. Seth was quite handsome, actually. But, unlike most teenage girls, I wasn't the fawning type. I rose from my seat.

"Seth, come meet Ester and Abigail." Sue urged her son.

"Hey, I'm Seth, and you must be Ester." He extended his long arm across the bed and I took it. Damn, he was feverishly warm.

"You're hot!" I blurted out, as my face blushed out of embarrassment with my choice of words. That shit came out totally wrong!

"Thanks," Seth smiled graciously.

"No, what I meant was…"

"Who's hot?" Abby turned over just as Seth glanced down at her. The look in my sister's eyes was an expression I thought I'd never see again, but it was a gaze I was painfully familiar with. It was the look my father used to give my mother, however far more intense!

"Hi." Seth exhaled. My eyes quickly shifted to appraise the expression of the seventeen year old boy who had enchanted my sister. His face mirrored Abby's, and just when I thought his smile couldn't get any wider, it did.

"Hi, back." Abby tried to smirk but grimaced in pain instead. I finally looked over at Seth's mom. She looked as though she just witnessed a two headed horse walk by. She quickly regained her composure and cleared her throat.

"I'll be right back." Sue announced, walking out. Where the hell was she going? She needed to take her son with her. I did not like this one bit. This…Seth didn't know us from a can a paint. How dare he look at my sister that way? As if he were helplessly devoted to Abby.

"Can I get you anything?" Seth asked her. "Are you comfortable?" he rambled on. "That's a dumb question," he scoffed at himself. "I mean, you have food poisoning for goodness' sake!"

"Actually," Abby slowly sat up, "I'm starting to feel better already." Oh, hell no! Was she flirting with him? What type of alternate universe did I step into?!

A slight tapping on the door interrupted my mental thoughts. "Is everything alright?" Tiffany asked, walking in and shutting the door behind her.

"Everything's fine." Abby and Seth both replied. What the hell?! Now they're speaking in unison? This was bad. I had never felt so confused and at a loss of words in all my life.

As soon as this Seth kid took off, Abby and I were having a serious talk. Yes, Abigail is beautiful and charming; any guy could see that. But, there were so many other things about her and me that would send a man running away. Our lives were complicated. We had seen and dealt with so much. Once Seth found out what he truly was up against, once he knew all of her skeletons, he would destroy whatever was left of my sister. It was my job to protect her from ending up like our dad…broken-hearted and dead.

"Well, in that case, Ester, why don't I introduce you to Jacob and Embry?"

"I think I should stay." I told Tiffany firmly, as I continued glaring at Seth. He, of course, didn't even notice. He was too busy gazing at my sister as if he were a blind man seeing the sun for the very first time.

"Go on, Essie. I'm fine," my sister urged. Before I could even reply, Tiffany took me by the hand and led me out of the room. Is she actually trying to get rid of me to be alone with him? This shit was just getting more insane by the second. Abby never so much as talked about boys, let alone crushed on them!

"She was just about to fall asleep until he showed up." I spat. "Maybe I should stay to make sure he doesn't try anything stupid." I placed my hand on the doorknob to open the door once more, but Tiffany gently pulled my hand away.

"You have nothing to worry about. Seth is harmless. Trust me, Abby is in good hands." She smiled at me.

"He better keep his hands to his damn self," I snorted. I knew Tiffany heard my last remark, but chose not to reply. I followed her down the hallway.

"Everyone, this is Ester Florence Moonflower." My eyes scanned the room.

First, I saw a young man sitting at the table with Sue. His skin was also a beautiful, silky russet color; like my father's. His eyes were dark, set deep above the high planes of his cheekbones. Just like Seth, he was extremely handsome. He had raven-black hair, and twinkling, dusky brown eyes. He and Seth could easily pass as brothers. What the hell were they feeding these guys? Even though he was seated, I could tell he was pretty damn tall. Taller than Seth.

I then glanced over at the other new face in the room. Oh. My. Goodness.

In all my years, I had never seen a man this attractive before. My stomach was doing flip flops, and my heart was racing out of my chest. I couldn't help but stare at his tall slender frame. His whole entire body was built; with taut, rounded muscles. His skin was a beautiful cooper, just a few shades darker than mine. But what caught me off-guard were his almond-shaped brown eyes. They were chestnut, actually; a warm medium-brown with hints of reddish tones, and his chin had a small dimple in it. Abby wasn't in trouble…I was.

"Ester, this is Jacob Black, a distant relative of yours." I reluctantly averted my eyes from the gorgeous man and his piercing stare.

"Hey there, Ester, nice to meet you. Our grandfathers were second cousins." He stood up and shook my hand.

"And this fine, young man is my son, Embry." I whipped my head back in the direction of the man who caught my eye. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. Was he okay? He looked visibly flustered. Surely this couldn't be because of me, could it? "Honey, are you alright?" Tiffany asked her son just as Jacob turned around to look at his friend. I thought I heard him say something to Embry, but I wasn't too sure if I was just imagining things. Finally, Embry slowly walked towards me. My heart began to race as he lifted his hand towards mine.

"It's nice to meet you, Ester." Even his voice was amazing. Smooth, but strong, not the deepest, but just right. As our hands met, I felt an electric charge shoot through me and I immediately let go. I had never been so intrigued and frightened by my feelings at the exact same time. "Mom, can I talk to you real quick?" He asked, never breaking eye contact with me.

"Sure, sweetheart. Sue? Do you mind finishing dinner?"

"Of course." Sue rose from the table and made her way towards Tiffany's kitchen. My eyes couldn't resist following Embry and his mother as they walked away. What in the hell just happened?

**Embry's POV**

I quickly hustled my mom into her bedroom and shut the door behind us.

"What the heck has gotten into you, Embry?" My mom paced. "Honestly, I think you may have scared that poor girl half to death, with the way you were staring at her…"

"It happened, mom." I cut her off.

"What happened?!" She demanded. I gave her a significant look. I watched my mom's eyes widened the size of saucers. "Oh, shit!"

"Not so loud," I hushed. My mom slowly sank down onto her bed and dropped her head. She was uncharacteristically silent for a moment and then I heard her sniffle. "Mom?" She lifted her head. Tears were streaming down her face, but I knew they were happy tears because she was beaming.

"Your future wife is standing in my living room!" My mom shot up like a rocket, squealing as if she had just met Miranda Lambert or something. "She's staying in my house!" She gestured towards herself, she was over the moon, but her smile slowly faded as she sat back down.

"What is it, mom?" I asked with worry at her sudden change of expression.

"There's so much we don't know about her," she sighed heavily. "There's so much pain in her eyes. She's so untrusting. She reminds me of myself when I showed up here from Makah, pregnant with you many years ago."

I trembled slightly with anger at my mom's words. Joshua Uley had truly done a number on her. What type of guy takes off on his wife and child only to get involved with a naïve sixteen year old girl?

Joshua Uley was not some old pervert by any means. He himself was only nineteen when he met my mother, but he was already a married man with a three year old; my brother, Sam. See, Joshua and Allison got together pretty young, and when a very pregnant Allison showed up with her parents at Josh's parent's house, it was agreed upon that the two would marry as soon as he turned eighteen.

My dad may not have had a lot of common sense, but he was extremely intelligent, and although he once loved Allison, he had grown bitter towards her because he had to give up his full paid ride to Harvard, and began working immediately to provide for his wife and child. He just couldn't deal with it, so he took off and ran into the arms of my mother. They say lightning doesn't strike in the same place twice, but it did for Joshua Uley. This time, when Joshua Uley ran off, it was some three thousand miles away, never to be heard from again until he showed up many years later. I know it takes two. Allison and my mom played a part in their fates, no one told them to have unprotected sex, but at least they stayed. They didn't abandon Sam and me; they remained. Josh ran away.

"You know, mom, when you say things like that, it makes me hate him all over again." I spat bitterly.

"You shouldn't, Embry. I don't know what else he has to do to prove that he's sorry." My mom rose back up again. "I was able to forgive him," she murmured. Of course she did; she still loved him. I didn't even understand why. "Holding a grudge is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. It doesn't work that way and it never will." My mom always had a way of softening my heart and cooling my anger towards Josh with just a few simple words.

"So what do I do, mom? About Ester?" How can I love a girl who trusts no one? My mom walked over to me. She pulled my hands into hers.

"I was able to trust again because I met some wonderful people who proved to me that loyalty is very real, and love-when not selfish-can fix so many things. Let's get through dinner first, and then go from there." I nodded slowly. "Congratulations." My mother hugged me. "You found her Embry, finally."

"No mom, she found me." And she really had.

**Arthur's Note: Thanks for reading everyone. Please review and add to your alerts/favorites. Once again pics of characters and places are up on my profile. Thanks again!**


End file.
